Before we get to Sunday, I hope to see you tonight at the YMCA for bowling and pizza! 5:30 – 7:30… even if you are not a bowler, come on out anyway!

This Sunday, we begin a 5-week sermon series on The Bread of Life from John’s gospel. Last Sunday we saw Jesus, assisted by a young boy, feed the 5000. This Sunday we will continue in this passage, being reminded that we all are hungry in one way or another for something… for food, love, appreciation, visibility, equality, peace, direction. What kind of hunger pangs do you have?
As we partake of Holy Communion together on our first Sunday back in the newly refurbished sanctuary, we remember once again that Jesus sets the table and invites us all to come… serving the food for our bodies and souls.

Come and be fed.

from the Bishop Desmond Tutu, 20th century
“I don’t preach a social gospel; I preach the Gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person. When people were hungry, Jesus didn’t say, ‘Now is that political or social?’ He said, ‘I’ll feed you.’ Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.”

Sunday, August 5
9:45AM Youth: Studying Esther with Cathy Waitman
Adult Sunday School: Studying Dietrich Bonhoeffer with Rev. Horton {FH}
As we begin preparation for Rev. Staggs’ visit, beginning Sunday, August 5th, during the Sunday school hour, Rev. Horton will lead a class on the Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. These discussion classes will continue through the month of August.

10:30AM………… First Sunday Social {FH}: Hosted by Rich & Lena Johnson
11:00AM……………. Worship and Holy Communion in the Sanctuary
Intercessory Prayer Circle at front of Chapel

“Back to School” campaign for Communities in Schools
We are continuing to collect school supplies during the month of July and August. Each Sunday, please help by bringing the items to the Communities in Schools box located outside the office during the month of July or to the Narthex during August.

July 15 – pencils and notebook paper

July 22 – crayons (24) and glue sticks

July 29 – composition books and erasers

August 5 – colored pencils and markers

August 12 – backpacks

Thank you in advance for your generous donations.

Usher Appreciation Lunch
Ushers and their spouses are invited to attend an Usher Appreciation Lunch scheduled for Sunday, August 12th immediately following the worship service. This free meal is a chance for the church to thank you for your dedicated service along with an opportunity to explain the new sanctuary security system and refresh the operation of the life-saving AED system located in the narthex and fellowship hall. You are the front line for our members and visitors and we want to thank you for your faithful service.

To assist with ordering catered food, please email carolyn@frucc.org or call the church office (336-248-2617) by Sunday, July 29th to confirm the number planning to attend.

FREE Summer Activities for the Young and Young at Heart…

Church-wide Bowling Night, Lexington YMCA – Friday, August 3rd from 5:30 – 7:30pm First Reformed family and friends will enjoy pizza, drinks and bowling. If you haven’t contacted Cathy Waitman yet, JULY 29th IS THE DEADLINE to sign up!

Back to School Bingo and Movie in church fellowship hall – Tuesday, August 14th from 1:30 – 4:00pm; prizes, popcorn, snacks, drinks will be provided. Please let Cathy know by August 5th if you are interested.

September 5 BLOODMOBILE coming to First Reformed UCC
More information will be provided as we get closer to the date. A sign-up sheet is currently available on the bulletin board outside the church office, or you may contact the office by e-mail carolyn@frucc.org or phone (336-248-2617) to add your name to the list.

SEPTEMBER 9th Rally Day 2018!
Rally Day is coming. We will have a program in the Chapel for Adults and Youth culminating our study of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Clarence Jordan. We will receive Confirmands and new members during the worship service. A delicious baked potato and salad bar luncheon is planned for the CONGREGATIONAL MEAL.

UPCOMING MINISTER and PERFORMING ARTIST
After serving as a pastor for 24 years, Al Staggs became a full-time performing artist. His repertoire includes characterizations of such luminaries as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Clarence Jordan, and Oscar Romero. He is the author of What Would Bonhoeffer Say? (Intermundia Press), A Pilgrim in Rome: Cries of Dissent, and another collection of poetry, In Mammon We Trust . . . (Intermundia Press).
A poet and full-time performing artist, Al Staggs served as a pastor for 24 years. His repertoire of programs includes characterizations of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Clarence Jordan, and Oscar Romero.

The weekend of September 15-16 Rev. Al Staggs , a minister and performance artist, will share three presentations.

Saturday evening, September 15th, Rev. Staggs will present Laughter for Life . This program focuses on the spiritual, emotional and physical benefits of humor and features his numerous comedic impersonations.

Sunday morning, September 16th, at 9:45am in the education building, Rev. Staggs will perform “Clarence Jordan and the God Movement.”

Taken from the book description and reviews:

Clarence Jordan was a farmer, Baptist minister and biblical scholar who, in 1942, founded the interracial community of Koinonia in south Georgia. His perspective of Christian discipleship, particularly in regard to the issues of racial equality, war and greed, made him a highly controversial figure in his hometown of Americus and Sumter County, Georgia. Jordan’s life and theology were a radical emodiment of the teachings of Jesus, especially those from the Sermon on the Mount. In 1968 he and Millard Fuller founded Fund for Humanity, which later became Habitat for Humanity International.

Reviews:

“Al, there are legions of legends but none sound like Daddy until I heard you. You have mastered the pauses, the tone, and some of the mannerisms I knew so well as a child. When I closed my eyes during your performance, I was moved to tears at the sound. You do a great job! It’s good for both a laugh and a cry!” –Jan (Jordan) Zehr, daughter of Clarence Jordan

“I want to thank you for your outstanding performance here at Habitat for Humanity International headquarters. You did a superb job of impersonating Clarence Jordan. Indeed, I cannot imagine you doing a better job of impersonating that great man of God. One of the best indications of how well you did was the reaction of the Jordan family including his three living children. They were astounded at your magnificent portrayal of their father.” –Millard Fuller

“Al, I just wanted to thank you on behalf of the entire ‘Jordan Clan’ for a performance that captured the essence of daddy! Your cadence, your inflection, your mannerisms, and humor were so real, it was hard not to think back 30 years ago, when we would sit and listen to daddy speak. Both performances were outstanding!” –Lenny Jordan, Clarence Jordan’s son

Worship Service at 11:00am in the sanctuary, Rev. Staggs will perform, “A View from the Underside: The Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer” . The audience is brought into the prison cell where Bonhoeffer awaits execution and listens to his struggles with evil, injustice, and God. In the play, Bonhoeffer tells of the profound influence of fellow Union Theological student, Frank Fisher, an African-American friend who introduced Dietrich to the blight of racism in America. Prisoner Bonhoeffer expresses moral outrage against the Nazi treatment of Jews and explains how that outrage led him to become involved in the German resistance movement, a commitment that would result in his execution by hanging on April 9, 1945.

The story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pastor and theologian, is the story of a man who spoke as a prophet to a German church that was more concerned with her own security than she was with doing the work of God in the midst of oppression and human need. This pastor-prisoner challenged the typical expressions of popular Christian piety, a piety that denied the reality of injustice toward innocent people, namely Jews.
Bonhoeffer compels us to struggle with him regarding the nature and expression of Christian faithfulness in the context of horrifying injustice. One of his most important contributions to theology and to our understanding of contemporary discipleship came as a result of his experiences as a prisoner of the Gestapo from April 1943, until his death by hanging on April 9, 1945. During his incarceration he learned what it meant to view life, history, and scripture from what he termed “the view from below, from the perspective of the outcasts, the suspects, the maltreated, the powerless, the reviled. In short, from the perspective of those who suffer.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s testimony in word and deed continues to influence people all over the world. His witness has drawn praise from leading theologians and philosophers alike. After Bonhoeffer’s death his close friend and biographer, Eberhard Bethge, said of him, “When he was silenced for good at age 39, he began to speak more loudly than ever before.”
A real contribution to Bonhoeffer studies, performance artist Al Staggs brings this modern martyr’s testimony to life with wit and sensitivity, compelling us to struggle along with Bonhoeffer with regard to the nature and expression of Christian faithfulness in the context of horrifying injustice.

Tuesday, September 25 NEXT COMMUNITY MEAL:
5:00pm Fellowship Hall
First Reformed United Church of Christ, 104 East Center Street, Lexington, NC 27292
Donations appreciated!